North Carolina Sues Electronic Cigarette Maker JUUL

Also, judge has ruled that the FDA neglected its legal duty by postponing reviews of vaping products

THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- North Carolina is suing electronic-cigarette manufacturer JUUL for allegedly marketing its products to children and misleading the public about the health risks of the products. This lawsuit is the first filed by a state over JUUL's alleged marketing toward teens, CNN reported.

"As a result of JUUL's deceptive and unfair practices, thousands of North Carolina kids are at risk of addiction to nicotine," North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said Wednesday, CNN reported. "JUUL must be stopped from spreading this disease any further and must pay for its violations of the law."

"While we have not yet reviewed the complaint, we share the Attorney General's concerns about youth vaping, which is why we have been cooperating with his office and why we have taken the most aggressive actions of anyone in the industry to combat youth usage," JUUL said in a statement, CNN reported.

In related news, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration neglected its legal duty by postponing reviews of all vaping products for several years. The ruling was made in a lawsuit filed last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and other public health groups that want the FDA to begin reviewing thousands of e-cigarettes on the U.S. market, CNN reported. The FDA's lack of oversight of e-cigarettes has led to a huge increase in teenagers' use of the devices, which could get a generation of Americans hooked on nicotine, the groups said. In a statement, FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said the agency is reviewing the court decision and "will continue to tackle the troubling epidemic of e-cigarette use among kids," CNN reported. The FDA has the option of appealing the decision.